Backflow Testing & Prevention in Goodyear, AZ

Yes. Arizona's cross-connection control program, administered by ADEQ, requires annual testing of backflow prevention assemblies on residential irrigation systems. Each of Goodyear's four water utilities — City of Goodyear, EPCOR Water Arizona, Liberty Utilities, and Global Water Resources — administers the testing requirement for their service area and maintains a list of approved testers. Many Goodyear HOAs in Palm Valley, Estrella Mountain Ranch, and PebbleCreek send annual reminders to homeowners. The test must be performed by a certified backflow assembly tester and the results reported to the appropriate utility.

Results are reported to the water utility that serves your address. For homes served by City of Goodyear Water, the test report goes to the City of Goodyear utilities department. For EPCOR customers in Palm Valley and north Goodyear, the report goes to EPCOR. For Global Water Resources customers in Estrella Mountain Ranch, the report goes to Global Water. We submit the test report on your behalf to the appropriate utility as part of every backflow testing service. If you are unsure which utility serves your address, your water bill identifies the provider.

An RPZ (reduced pressure zone) assembly provides the highest level of backflow protection. It has two independently acting check valves and a relief valve between them that opens to discharge water if either check valve fails, preventing backflow. An RPZ is required for higher-hazard connections — irrigation systems using fertilizer injection, systems with reclaimed water components, or commercial applications. A DCVA (double check valve assembly) has two independently acting check valves but no relief valve, making it appropriate for lower-hazard connections. Most Goodyear residential irrigation systems use a DCVA. We test and certify both types.

Yes. A backflow preventer is a mechanical assembly with moving parts and rubber seals. It can fail between annual tests if debris enters the assembly, if the rubber seals degrade from the UV exposure that outdoor assemblies in Goodyear experience, or if the check valves are damaged by water hammer from the irrigation system. An assembly that passed last year's test at the margin of acceptable performance may fail this year if its condition has continued to decline. This is why annual testing is a requirement rather than a one-time certification.

A backflow preventer that fails the annual test must be repaired or replaced and then retested before the test report can be submitted to the utility. We carry common repair parts for the most prevalent Goodyear RPZ and DCVA assemblies — Watts, Wilkins, and Febco are the most common brands in the West Valley — and can often repair and retest at the same visit. For assemblies that are beyond repair, we replace with a new assembly, install it, and conduct the post-installation test at the same visit. The utility does not require the homeowner to submit separate paperwork for the repair — the final passing test report is the submission.